Draw near to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) — Newsletter 22020717
引言：前两周很多弟兄姊妹都身体不适，这周来到教会你有什么感受？(大家一起来到主的殿中敬拜神，何等美好)。身体软弱的时候、教会遇到挑战的时候，我们会更多的祷告、更迫切的呼求神来怜悯施恩。这一段时间，我也对亲近神、如何敬拜神有一些思考。所以，今天跟大家分享“来到施恩宝座前”，取自于希伯来书。
当我们说，来到施恩宝座前，不知道大家会想到怎么样一个场景。无论是诗歌敬拜， 还是个人祷告，对我们很多人来说，来到神的面前就是这样。但是当我们停下来思考一下，这些场景对圣经时代的以色列人来说，都是无法想象的。让我们暂时脱下文化和社会环境对我们的影响，一起来看看圣经给我们启示的，到神的面前来亲近祂，是怎样一个画面。
经文：(希伯来书4:16) 所以我们只管坦然无惧地来到施恩的宝座前，为要得怜恤，蒙恩惠，做随时的帮助。
1. 为何要来到施恩宝座前
首先，我们要问，为什么要到施恩的宝座前？很多人会说，不需要问嘛，谁不希望得到恩典呢？ 如果有施恩的宝座，那我当然要去了，对不对？就好像有人说啊，有免费的好处为什么不去领呢？很多人信主也是这样一个初衷。
但是我之前看到一个视频，给我印象很深。就是在疫情之中，政府或慈善机构会派发一些救济的食物，给那些因为疫情生活困难的人可以去领。然后人们就排起来很长的长龙去领，每个人都有一大包，足够吃一周的。然后有人就发现，在离这个救济点不远处的垃圾桶里面，有很多被浪费掉的食物。不少的人领了救济品，不是因为他们困难，而是因为他们符合资格。有免费的食物为何不领呢？领到之后不但不感恩，还挑来挑去，这个我喜欢、这个我不喜欢，不喜欢就丢掉，还没有开封的食物就丢到垃圾桶。
这个是我们可以称之为对恩典的滥用，对不对？所以，当我们说我们来到施恩宝座前，每个人都渴望恩典。但是，当我们不真正的感恩，不真正明白什么是恩典的时候，其实就会践踏恩典。我们要问，我自己来到教会敬拜神的心态是什么。
你注意到吗？希伯来书说我们来到施恩宝座前的时候，要“坦然无惧”。 为什么作者要鼓励信徒不要惧怕、坦然地来到神的施恩宝座前？这个想法对我们来说好像很陌生。
今天谁来到教会不是“坦然无惧”的呢？(我们来到教会之前，会彼此鼓励要坦然无惧吗？) 当然我们有的时候不敢来教会，是怕疫情。但是除了疫情，我们从没有想过，来到神面前还会惧怕吗？今天也很少有牧师会在讲台上严厉指正人的罪， 所以有什么好怕的呢？我们来聚会、敬拜神要惧怕什么，我们从来都没有想过。有些人来到教会时想，我这么忙，能够来教会就很不错了。甚至有人想，神啊，我又来教会了啊，你可不要忘记我又来看望过祢了。 那么，人为什么不不惧怕神呢？其实是因为不认识神。人不惧怕神，也是因为不认识自己的罪。
以赛亚当时已经是一个信神的人，他也是经常亲近神的，但是当他真正的看到神的荣耀、看到圣洁的神向他显现的时候，他第一个反应是，真实的惧怕。
在圣经里我们看到，当先知以赛亚看到神的荣耀向他显现的时候，他的反应是什么？他说，(赛 6:5) 祸哉！我灭亡了。因为我是嘴唇不洁的人，又住在嘴唇不洁的民中，又因我眼见大君王万军之耶和华。
我这样一个不洁的人，出现在这样一个圣洁、荣耀的神面前。他说，祸哉，我灭亡了。
我们也看到，耶稣第一次在彼得面前行了一个大的神迹，彼得打了一夜鱼，一无所获。但是听耶稣的话下网，他就打起了满满一网的鱼。这个时候彼得的第一反应也是一样的，彼得说，主啊！离开我，我是个罪人！ (我们敬拜的时候，会这样唱吗？) 这不是我们来到主面前的反应，是因为我们还没有真正面对、真正经历这位圣洁、荣耀的神。这不是说我们不认识神，就像以赛亚和彼得一样，他们在此之前都是敬拜神的。但是我们还没有真正的面对、真正体验到神圣洁的荣耀，也没有真正意识到自己的罪。
当我们回顾历史，我们会看到，罪人能够来到神的面前，绝对是这不是理所当然。相反，是非常不同寻常的一件事。我们今天可以敬拜神，完全是神的恩典。为何这样说呢？因为罪人对神的自然的反应就是躲避。当亚当夏娃犯罪的时候，他们第一个反应是什么？就躲藏起来躲避神。当色列人出了埃及之后以，神说我要在西乃山与你们的立约，告诉以色列人他们要洁净自己。神降临西乃山的时候，有雷声、角声，以色列人大大的惧怕。
(来 12:18-21) 此山有火焰、密云、黑暗、暴风、角声与说话的声音。那些听见这声音的，都求不要再向他们说话， … 所见的极其可怕，甚至摩西说：“我甚是恐惧战兢。”
这不是他们第一次跟神打交道。神在埃及降下十灾，圣经没有说到以色列人多惧怕。神使红海分开，圣经也没有说到以色列人多惧怕。以色列人一路上都有云柱和火柱， 显明神的同在，也没有看到他们有什么畏惧。直到他们意识到，他们要面对一位圣洁荣耀的神，临到他们当中的时候，就产生了一个大大的恐惧。
罪人面对神，一个正常的反应就是恐惧战兢，因为人内心深处的罪疚感，使人不敢面对神，人内心深处惧怕神公义的审判。所以罪人来到神的面前不是自然而然的。
举个例子，我在开车的时候，如果旁边有警车，我就会紧张。(不知道大家有没有同感？) 如果警车一直跟着你，你左转，他也左转，你右转，他也右转，你心里会不会害怕？为什么呢？因为我们知道他是执法者，所以我们担心，自己不能有一点点错。赶紧看看自己有没有超速。倘若你刚刚学车，一不小心就超速，这个警车一直在跟着你，你会这么感觉？
所以，如果我们仔细想一下，我在神的面前是一个罪人，就像是不断超速的司机。神就像个24小时在跟着我、看着我的执法者，而且我是在神的眼前不住犯罪。那我们来到祂的面前，岂不恐惧战兢吗？
(来4:12-13) 神的道是活泼的，是有功效的，比一切两刃的剑更快，甚至魂与灵、骨节与骨髓，都能刺入、剖开，连心中的思念和主意都能辨明；并且被造的没有一样在他面前不显然的，原来万物在那与我们有关系的主眼前，都是赤露敞开的。
希伯来书作者在这之前讲到以色列人，他们悖逆不信神，试探神40年之久，就倒毙在旷野。然后他又说，神的道是如此有穿透力，骨节与骨髓，都能刺入、剖开。人的一切思想，都在神眼前赤露敞开。读者不禁要问，那我呢？我心中的意念和想法，有多少能够陈列在人的面前？又有多少敢放在神的面前？我心底深处的意念完全陈列在神面前，我能够站立得住吗？所以我们仔细想，罪人来到神的面前， 真的是一件不容易的事。
作者在说完这一段话以后，就激励信徒说，你们要坦然无惧地来到神的宝座前。完全是因为神的恩典，因为神的心意，就是要让罪人能够来到他的面前。在亚当夏娃犯罪之后，他们躲避神。是神来寻找他们，对不对？神知道他们没有能力、也没有这个勇气来到神的面前来认罪。
所以，神要去寻找他们，说，亚当，你在哪里？神也给他们一种途径，能够来到神的面前——神杀了一只牲畜，用它的皮给他们做衣服。这是亚当夏娃第一次见到血淋淋的一幕，因为创世之初，美好的世界没有杀戮，人也不吃肉，也没有见过血。
但是，神所造的这样一个美好的一个生命，在亚当、夏娃面前被神亲手杀死。就是给罪人一个来到神面前的途径，就是用祭物的血、代替人罪的刑罚。其实祭物的血不足以代替人的罪，但这里是指向耶稣基督为我们流血牺牲。
2. 如何要来到施恩宝座前
亚当夏娃离开了伊甸园，虽然罪人不再能与圣洁的神同住，但是神希望罪人能够来到祂面前，祂为罪人预备了一个能够接近神、能够来到神的面前、与神相交的途径。这样，从挪亚到亚伯拉罕，人都是通过献祭来到神的面前。我们知道挪亚出方舟的时候，第一件事情就是献祭，对不对？
当以色列人在埃及为奴400年之久的，摩西带他们出来到旷野。400年在埃及(大概20代人)，以色列已经没有敬拜的生活，而且在埃及到处都是偶像假神。他们失去了与神亲近的环境，这也是为什么当神真正向他们显现的时候，他们大大的惧怕，不愿意神跟他们说话。不但如此，从之前的一个人、一家人，现在已经成为大约有200万人的一个国家，基本就是布里斯班的人口。怎么让这么多的人，而且又完全没有敬拜神的习惯，能够重新恢复对神的敬拜？所以在神与他们立约的时候，神就设立一套祭司制度。
神首先设立会幕，作为神与以色列人同在的居所，好让以色列人能够来到神的面前。让我们思想，来到神的面前这个概念。我的孩子有问过我，神不是无处不在吗？什么叫来到神的面前呢？(你怎么回答呢？)以色列人出埃及的时候，神一直有跟他们在一起，白天云柱引路，晚上有火柱给他们照亮。
神无处不在，那我们需要来到神的面前吗？但是神要人认识到，罪人在什么情况下才可以面对神，我们什么时候、以什么样的方式亲近神。神帮助以色列人明白，来到神面前意味着什么，就设立了一个人可以看见的会幕。人来到这里就意识到是在面对神了，是在敬拜、亲近神了。其实天地的主不住人手所造的殿
但是神设立会幕，就是要教导人怎样来到神的面前。
神首先给我们一个具象化的方式，让我们意识道，自己是来到神面前了。有人说，我心里信神就行了，不需要去教会。或者说，神不看重形式，我没有必要遵循主日崇拜。还有人说，祷告为什么要闭眼睛，为什么要说出来，心里想一下就行了。
当然，神不是住在这个教会的建筑里面，但是当我们来到教会的时候，我们意识到自己是来到神的面前。尽管我们日常生活也要讨神喜悦，我们主日崇拜的时候，我们是有意识的在敬拜神。我们在祷告的时候，闭上眼睛、说出声来，都是帮助我们自己意识到是来到神的面前了。
人如何能来的神的施恩宝座前呢？神设立会幕，又让祭司代表以色列人，来到神的面前来献祭。会幕和祭司制度，关于如何来到神的面前给我们什么教导呢？首先，神是圣洁的，罪人来到神面前不是理所当然，也不是人人都可以来到神的面前。因为神的圣洁和人的罪，对于以色列人来说，只有分别为圣的祭司能够进入会幕，而且必须要先为自己献上赎罪祭。
今天我们能够坦然无惧的来到神的面前，因为我们都是祭司，因为耶稣基督的宝血洗净我们的罪、将我们分别为圣，所以我们是分别为圣的一群，我们今天来到神面前就像旧约的祭司一样。所以不是每个来到教会的人都来到神的面前，因为只有真正信靠基督的，这个人的罪被基督宝血洗净的，而且这个人已经分别为圣——就是他的生命卖给神、属于神、由神支配了。
(启 5:9-10) 因为你曾被杀，用自己的血从各族、各方、各民、各国中买了人来，叫他们归于神， 10 又叫他们成为国民做祭司，归于神…
那么，我们来到神的面前，要以怎样的方式？你注意到，这里说施恩“宝座”前。什么是宝座呢？宝座就是君王的座位。所以我们来到施恩宝座前，是来到君王的面前。不知道大家有没有去过英国的白金汉宫？
我在英国，特意去参观白金汉宫，门口总是聚集很多的游人，但门通常是锁住的。那我当时就在想，中国的故宫，人们可以随意进去参观呢。为什么白金汉宫不让游人参观呢？ 后来我明白了，中国的故宫里面是没有君王的，但是英国的白金汉宫女王是住在里面的，所以人不可以随便进出。假如你到女王的面前，是不是可以像一个游客一样，随意拍照呢？ 绝对不行。那我们来到神的宝座前，是不是可以按照我们的方式呢？也绝对不行。
以色列的祭司进入会幕供职，要先自洁，要穿上合适的圣服，然后也要按规定来献祭。那我们来敬拜神，可以带着我们的罪吗？我们的衣着、谈吐是否要得体？特别是要批戴基督的义袍。我们是否需要按照神所悦纳、而不是我们喜欢的方式来敬拜呢？所以我们要意识到，罪人来到至高的君王面前也是轻忽不得的。
不但如此，要按照神的方式献祭，只有大祭司一年一次，可以进入至圣所。原来会幕之中，又分为圣所和至圣所。 在至圣所里面，有神的约柜和施恩座。祭司可以到圣所献祭，但只有大祭司一年一次，带着祭物的血可以进入到至圣所，可以来到那施恩座前。
而且，你是否注意到，这祭司的圣服下面有什么？铃铛。金铃铛什么意思呢？当大祭司独自在至圣所供职的时候，一旦有所轻忽、得罪了神。当铃铛不响了， 外面的人就知道神击杀他了。所以，亲近神绝对不是件随意的事。对以色列人来说如此，我们今天侍奉的神，是同样的一位神。
那为什么今天我们可以来到教会不用挂铃铛呢？(来 4:14) 我们既然有一位已经升入高天尊荣的大祭司，就是神的儿子耶稣…
因为我们有这样一个大祭司、神的儿子，祂已经升入高天、到神的右边，就是天上真的至圣所，就是到神的宝座。我们的罪在神的面前都是赤露敞开的，所以罪人无法面对神。所以耶稣来到地上，就是为要把我们带到神的面前。耶稣为我们成了大祭司，不但用祂的血洗净我们的罪，也为我们进入高天、神的宝座前，为我们代求。
这一位代求的大祭司，与地上的祭司相同，祂能够体恤我们的软弱，因为祂与我们经历过同样的试探。你在病痛中，软弱无力；耶稣也曾是软弱无助的婴孩，需要马利亚的帮助。你被所爱的人伤害，心如刀割；耶稣也曾被祂所爱的人背叛，被人们弃绝。
你面对未来的患难，忧虑惧怕；耶稣曾面对十字架上与父分离的苦杯，大声哀哭流泪祷告。然而，耶稣与地上的祭司不同，祂没有犯罪，所以祂可以进入天上的至圣所、在天父的右边为我们祈求，父神必然会听祂的祈求。
(来4:15-16) 因我们的大祭司并非不能体恤我们的软弱，他也曾凡事受过试探，与我们一样，只是他没有犯罪。所以我们只管坦然无惧地来到施恩的宝座前，为要得怜恤，蒙恩惠，做随时的帮助。
我们如何来到神的施恩宝座前，关键在乎我们是否真正认识恩典、是否真正的看重恩典。因为我们有这样一位大祭司，所以我们要怎样坦然无惧的来到施恩的宝座前呢？
有些人不来亲近神，因为太忙了。每天有各种各样的安排，也好像没有什么需要亲近神。这是因为没有真正的认识到，我们的罪常在神的面前。倘若我们意识到自己超速，而且被跟着的警车拍到了。我们是不是要马上处理这件事呢？不会说我太忙了。
当我们意识到，我们的罪，一项项一款款，每一个心思、每一个意念得罪祂的地方，都陈列在神眼前，我们就会愿意来到他的面前得怜恤、蒙恩惠。当约书亚带领以色列人攻取迦南地的时候，当时他们攻入迦南的腹地，南北都是敌人，准备进行决定性的战役之前，他们停下来敬拜神。
(书 8:30-35) 那时，约书亚在以巴路山上为耶和华以色列的神筑一座坛，…众人在这坛上给耶和华奉献燔祭和平安祭… 摩西所吩咐的一切话，约书亚在以色列全会众和妇女、孩子，并他们中间寄居的外人面前，没有一句不宣读的。
所以我们来到神的面前，首先要与神恢复关系，我们的罪要得到处理，我们才能够继续前行。要保证我们的人在神的面前是正确的，然后才可以继续征战，对不对？今天我们也面对很多的征战。我们更需要到神的施恩宝座前得怜恤、蒙恩惠，要得到神的恩典，我才能继续前行。
有些人不不敢亲近神，不是因为他没有意识到自己的罪，而是认为自己得罪神、得罪人了，羞于来到神的面前，羞于来到教会。但是，他没有真正认识到耶稣——我们的大祭司所成就的。没有认识到基督的恩典有多么大，以及神设立基督作为我们的大祭司，就是为了让我们到神的施恩宝座前得怜恤、蒙恩惠。
大卫王犯罪的时候，他与拔示巴行淫，然后就像所有的罪人一样，他要掩盖这个罪，所以就设计谋害死了拔示巴的丈夫。但是大卫没有因为他的罪就不来到神面前。
Psalms (诗 32:3-6) 我闭口不认罪的时候，因终日唉哼而骨头枯干… 我说“我要向耶和华承认我的过犯”，你就赦免我的罪恶。6 为此，凡虔诚人都当趁你可寻找的时候祷告你，大水泛溢的时候，必不能到他那里。
所以我们到神面前来，是抓住神的怜悯，神希望罪人悔改，希望罪人亲近祂。我们来到神的施恩宝座前，是依靠我们的大祭司耶稣所成就的救恩，为要得怜恤、蒙恩惠。
还有些人呢，只有在需要的时候才来找神。平安稳妥的时候，没有需要。也不打扰神，让祂好好休息，等我真正有需要的时候我再来麻烦祂吧。
我们来到施恩宝座前，为要做随时的帮助。这里不是说神，是一个24小时的热线，你需要的时候打，不需要时候就挂了。而是说我们来到他面前，首先要得怜恤蒙恩惠。我们的罪得到解决，与神的关系正确了，神的恩典和怜悯可以随时做我们帮助。
Many brothers and sisters have been unwell in the last two weeks, how do you feel coming to church this week? (How wonderful it is to come together to worship God in the house of the Lord). When our bodies are weak and when the church is facing challenges, we pray more and cry out more urgently for God’s mercy and grace. During this period of time, I have also had some thoughts on how to get close to God and how to worship Him. So, today I am sharing with you ” Draw near to the throne of grace ” from the book of Hebrews.
When we say, ” Draw near to the throne of grace “, I wonder what kind of scene comes to your mind. Whether it is worship with hymns, or personal prayer, for many of us coming into the presence of God is what that is about. But when we stop for a second to think about it, these scenes were unimaginable to the Israelites of biblical times. Let’s take our minds off the influence of our cultural and social environment for a moment and see what the Bible reveals to us about coming into God’s presence and being close to Him.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
1，Why draw near to the throne of grace
First of all, we have to ask, why should we draw near to the throne of grace? Many people will be like “I don’t need to ask, who doesn’t want to receive grace? If there is a throne of grace, then of course I want to go there, wouldn’t I? Some people may say, “Why not go and receive a free gift? Many people believe in the Lord with the same initial intention.
I saw a video earlier that impressed me very much. In the midst of an epidemic, the government or charitable organisations would give out some relief food to those who were living in difficulty because of the epidemic. There was a long queue of people collecting the food, and everyone got a big packet, enough to feed them for a week. Then someone noticed that there was a lot of wasted food in the rubbish bin not far from the relief site. Quite a few people received the relief items, not because they were in hardship, but because they were eligible. Why not claim free food when it is available? Not only do they not give thanks when they receive it, but they pick and choose- which ones they like and which ones they dislike. If they don’t like it, they throw it away. Food that has not yet been opened is also thrown in the trash.
This is what we might call an abuse of grace. So, when we say we draw near to the throne of grace, everyone desires grace. But when we are not truly grateful and do not really understand what grace is, we are actually trampling on grace. We have to ask, what is my own mindset when I come to church to worship God.
Have you noticed? Hebrews says that when we draw near to the throne of grace, we draw near “with confidence”. Why does the writer encourage believers to come to the throne of God’s grace without fear and with confidence? This idea seems foreign to us.
Who comes to church today not “with confidence” and without fear? (Do we encourage each other to have confidence and be fearless before we come to church?) Of course, there are times when we are afraid to come to church because we are afraid of the epidemic. But apart from the epidemic, have we ever thought that we would be afraid to come to God?
There are few pastors today who are strictly rebuking and correcting people’s sins from the pulpit, so what is there to be afraid of? We have never thought about what we have to fear when we come to gather and worship God. Some people come to church thinking, “I’m so busy, it’s great to be able to come to church. Some even think, “God, I’ve come to church again, don’t you forget that I’ve come to visit you again. So why are people not afraid of God? In fact, it is because they do not know God. People are not afraid of God because they do not know their sins
Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!
In the Bible we see that when the prophet Isaiah saw the glory of God appear to him, what was his reaction? He said Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! Isaiah was already a believer in God at that time, and he was often close to God, but when he actually saw the glory of God and saw the holy God appear to him, his first reaction was real fear.
An unclean man like me appears before such a holy, glorious God. Woe is me, for I am lost, he says.
We also see that Jesus performed a great miracle for the first time in the presence of Peter, who had fished all night and caught nothing. But hearing Jesus’ words to cast his net, he caught a net full of fish. At this time Peter’s first reaction was the same, Peter said, Lord! Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. (Do we sing this when we worship?)
This is not a reaction we have when we come to the Lord, it is because we have not really faced and experienced this holy, glorious God. It’s not that we don’t know God, as Isaiah and Peter did, they both worshipped God before that. But we have not really faced and truly experienced the glory of God’s holiness, nor have we really realised our sin.
When we look back in history, we see that it is definitely not something that is taken for granted that sinners can come into the presence of God. On the contrary, it is a very unusual event. It is entirely by the grace of God that we can worship Him today. Why is this so? Because the natural response of sinners to God is to hide. When Adam and Eve sinned, what was their first response? To hide from God. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, God said I will make a covenant with you on Mount Sinai, telling the Israelites that they would cleanse themselves. When God came to Mount Sinai, there was thunder and the sound of trumpet and the Israelites were greatly afraid
a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. …21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”
This was not the first time they had dealt with God. God sent ten plagues on Egypt and the Bible does not speak of how much the Israelites feared. God parted the Red Sea and the Bible does not say how much the Israelites feared. The Israelites had pillars of cloud and fire all along their journey, showing God’s presence, and they were not seen to be afraid. It was not until they realized that they would be confronted by a holy and glorious God who would come among them that a great fear arose.
A normal reaction of sinners when they face God is fear and trembling, because the guilt deep in man’s heart makes him afraid to face God, and deep in his heart he fears the righteous judgement of God. So it is not natural for sinners to come into the presence of God.
For example, when I am driving, I get nervous if there is a police car next to me. (I wonder if you feel the same way?) If a police car keeps following you, and you turn left and he turns left, and you turn right and he turns right, will you be afraid in your heart? Why? Because we know that he is the law-enforcer, so we worry that we cannot make any mistakes. Take a quick look to see if you are speeding. If you had just got your license and you accidentally exceeded the speed limit, and this police car was following you all the time, would you feel that way?
So, if we think about it, I am a sinner before God, like a driver who is constantly speeding. God is like a policeman who is following me and watching me 24 hours a day, and I am not stopping sinning in front of God’s eyes. Then don’t we come before Him in fear and trembling?
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
The writer of Hebrews prefaces this by speaking of the Israelites, who were rebellious and unbelieving and tempted God for 40 years before they fell dead in the wilderness. Then he added that the word of God is so penetrating that it pierces and cuts through bones, joints and marrow. All the thoughts of man are laid bare and open before the eyes of God. The reader wonders, what about me? How many of the thoughts and ideas of my heart can be displayed before the eyes of men? And how much of it do I dare to put before God? Can I stand when the deepest thoughts of my heart are fully displayed before God? So when we think about it, it is not easy for a sinner to come to God.
After this passage, the writer inspires the believers, saying “Draw near to the throne of God with confidence and without fear. It is entirely because of the grace of God, for it is God’s desire that sinners should be able to come to Him. After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God. It was God who came looking for them. God knew that they did not have the ability or the courage to come to Him and confess their sins.
So God would go and seek them out, saying, Adam, where are you? God also gave them a way to be able to come into God’s presence – God killed a beast and made clothes for them from its skin. This was the first time that Adam and Eve had ever seen blood, for at the beginning of creation the good world there was no killing, nor did men eat meat, nor did they ever see blood.
But such a wonderful life that God had made was killed by God’s own hand in the presence of Adam and Eve. It was to give sinners a way to come to God by the blood of a sacrifice, a substitute for the penalty and payment of man’s sin. In fact, the blood of the sacrifice is not sufficient to replace man’s sin, but here it points to the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us
2, How to draw near to the throne of grace
Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, and although sinners could no longer live with a holy God, God wanted sinners to come to Him, and He prepared a way for sinners to be able to approach God, to be able to come into His presence, and to have fellowship with Him. In this way, from Noah to Abraham, men came to God through sacrifice. We know that the first thing Noah did when he came out of the ark was to offer a sacrifice.
When the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years, Moses brought them out into the wilderness. 400 years in Egypt (about 20 generations), Israel had no life of worship and there were idols and false gods everywhere in Egypt. They had lost their environment of closeness to God, which is why when God actually appeared to them, they were greatly afraid and did not want Him to speak to them.
Not only that, but from a single person and family before, it has now become a nation of about 2 million people, basically the population of Brisbane. How could such a large number of people, and with no habit of worshipping God at all, be restored to the worship of God? So at the time of God’s covenant with them, God set up a system of priesthood.
God first set up the tabernacle as a dwelling place for God to be with Israel so that Israel could come into the presence of God. Let us consider the concept of coming into the presence of God. My children have asked me, “Isn’t God everywhere? What does it mean to come into God’s presence? (How do you answer that?) When the Israelites came out of Egypt, God was with them all the time, a pillar of cloud to guide them by day and a pillar of fire to give them light by night.
the Lord of heaven and earth does not live in temples made by man，
God is everywhere, so do we need to come into the presence of God? But God wants people to realize the circumstances under which sinners can face God, and when and in what way we can approach God. God helped Israel to understand what it meant to come into the presence of God by setting up a tabernacle where people could see. When people came here they realized that they were facing God, that they were worshipping and drawing near to Him. In fact the Lord of heaven and earth does not live in temples made by man, but God set up the tabernacle to teach man how to come into the presence of God.
God first gives us a tangible way to realize that we are coming to God. Some people say, “I just believe in God in my heart, I don’t need to go to church. Or, God doesn’t value formality, so I don’t have to follow Sunday worship. Others say, “Why do I have to close my eyes to pray and why do I have to say it?
Of course, God does not live inside this church building, but when we come to church, we realize that we are coming to God. Even though we have to please God in our daily lives, we are conscious of worshipping God when we worship on Sundays. When we close our eyes and speak out in prayer, we are helping ourselves to realize that we are coming into the presence of God.
How can a man draw near to the throne of God’s grace? God set up the tabernacle and had the priests come to God to offer sacrifices on behalf of the Israelites. What does the tabernacle and the priesthood teach us about how to come before God? Firstly, that God is holy and that it is not natural for sinners to come to God, nor is it possible for everyone to come to God. Because of God’s holiness and man’s sin, for the Israelites only the priests who were set apart were able to enter the tabernacle and had to first offer a sacrifice of atonement for their own sins.
We can come to God today with confidence and without fear because we are all priests, because the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from sin and sets us apart, so we are a set-apart group, and we come to God today as the priests of the Old Testament did. So not everyone who comes to church comes to God, because only the one who truly trusts in Christ, the one whose sins are washed away by the blood of Christ, and the one who has been sanctified – that is, whose life has been sold to God, belongs to God, and ruled by God.
Revelation for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, 这样的人才能来到神的面前。Such are the people who come to God.
So, in what way do we come to God? You notice that it says here that grace is given “before the throne”. What is a throne? A throne is the seat of a king. So when we come before the throne of grace, we are coming into the presence of the King. I don’t know if you have been to Buckingham Palace in England.
When I was in England and made a point of visiting Buckingham Palace, there were always a lot of visitors gathered at the entrance, but the doors were usually locked. Then I was thinking, what about the Forbidden City in China, where people can go in and visit at will. Why is Buckingham Palace not allowed to be visited by tourists? Later I realized that there is no king in the Forbidden City in China, but the Queen of Buckingham Palace in the UK lives there, so people are not allowed to go in and out as they please. If you go to the Queen’s presence, are you allowed to take as many photos as you like, like a tourist? Absolutely not. So when we come to the throne of God, are we allowed to do it our way? Absolutely not, either.
When the priests of Israel entered the tabernacle to serve, they had to first cleanse themselves, they had to put on the proper holy garments, and then they also had to come and offer sacrifices as required. Can we then come to worship God with our sins? Are we to dress and talk appropriately? In particular, the robe of Christ’s righteousness is to be approved. Do we need to worship in a way that is pleasing to God and not to our liking? So we need to realize that sinners coming before the Exalted King is not to be taken lightly.
Not only that, but to offer sacrifices in God’s way, only the high priest, once a year, had access to the Most Holy Place. The original tabernacle was divided into the Holy Place and Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies there was the Ark of the Covenant and the Throne of Grace of God. The priests could go to the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifices, but only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year with the blood of the sacrifice, and could draw near to the Throne of Grace.
And, did you notice what was underneath the holy garments of those priests? Bells. What do the golden bells mean? When the high priest was alone in the Holy of Holies, if he was negligent and sinned against God. When the bells stopped ringing, the people outside knew that God had struck him down. So it was never a casual thing to approach God. This was true for the Israelites, and the God we serve today is the same God.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, … So why can we come to church today without hanging bells? Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, For we have such a high priest, the Son of God, who has ascended into the high heavens, to the right hand of God, the true Holy of Holies in heaven, that is, to the throne of God. All our sins are bare open before God, so that sinners cannot face God. So Jesus came to earth to bring us into the presence of God. Jesus became a high priest for us, not only to cleanse us from our sins by His blood, but also to intercede for us before the throne of God in the high heavens.
This intercessory High Priest is the same as the earthly priests, who can sympathies with our weaknesses because He has experienced the same temptations as we have. You were weak and feeble in your sickness; Jesus too was once a weak and helpless infant in need of Mary’s help. You were hurt and heartbroken by those you loved; Jesus was also betrayed by those He loved and rejected by people.
You have faced future troubles with anxiety and fear; Jesus has faced the bitter cup of separation from the Father on the cross, crying out in tears and prayer. However, unlike the earthly priests, Jesus did not sin, so He can enter the heavenly holy place and pray for us at the right hand of the Father, and God the Father will certainly hear His prayers.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The key to how we come to the throne of God’s grace is whether we truly know grace and whether we truly value it. Because we have such a high priest, how do we come to the throne of grace without fear?
Some people don’t come close to God because they are too busy. There are all sorts of commitments every day, and it seems that there is nothing to get close to God for. This is because there is no real awareness of the fact that our sins are always in the presence of God. If we realize that we are speeding and are caught on camera by a police car following us. Are we going to deal with this immediately? You would not say I am too busy.
When we realize that our sins, every mind and thought that offends Him, are displayed in front of God’s eyes, we will be willing to come to Him for mercy and grace. When Joshua led the Israelites to take the land of Canaan, when they were attacking the hinterland of Canaan, with enemies to the north and south, and before preparing for the decisive battle, they stopped to worship God.
Joshua At that time Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, … And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings…35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
So we come to God first of all to be restored to a relationship with God and our sins have to be dealt with before we can move on. We have to make sure that we are right with God before we can move on with the conquest, right? We face a lot of conquests today too. All the more reason why we need to go to the throne of God’s grace to receive God’s mercy and grace so that I can carry on.
Some people are not afraid to approach God, not because they are not aware of their sins, but because they think they have sinned against God and people, and are ashamed to come to God and to the Church. But he does not really recognize what Jesus, our High Priest, has achieved. Not realizing how great the grace of Christ is and how God established Christ as our High Priest in order that we might come to the throne of God’s grace and receive mercy and grace.
When King David sinned, he committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then like all sinners, he wanted to cover up this sin, so he plotted the death of Bathsheba’s husband. But David did not let his sin keep him from coming to God.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long…I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
So we come to God to take hold of His mercy, His desire for sinners to repent and for them to draw near to Him. We come to God’s throne of grace, relying on the salvation accomplished by Jesus our High Priest, in order to receive mercy and grace.
There are others who come to God only in times of need. When there is peace and stability, there is no need. I don’t bother God, I let Him rest, and I come back to Him when I really need something.
We come to the throne of grace in order to be a ready help. This is not to say that God, here, is a 24-hour hotline that you call when you need it and hang up when you don’t. Rather, it means that we come to him to receive mercy and grace. With our sins resolved and our relationship with God restored, God’s grace and mercy can be there to help us at any time.
Sunday Service
Address: 34 Kameruka Street, Calamvale
